Summary:

In spring 2003 a group of MPs from the SPS party have presented the State Duma with a draft for federal law “About changes in specific legal acts of the Russian Federation related to making lower the age for an active electoral right”. The proposed changes include a right of young people as young as 16 years of age to vote in elections and referendums, sign petitions in support of candidates, sign petitions in support of referendums and collect signatures in support of petitions.

http://www.balticdata.info/russia/elections/russia_elections_arseniy.htm

Ahead of the coming Duma election in the Russian Federation, political parties often utilize similar and sometimes very original methods for broadening their public support. A method recently demonstrated by the SPS party (Union of Right Forces) thus deserves more attention.

This party is one of two main democratic parties that are in the opposition. The other party is Yavlinski’s Yabloko. The SPS is well known for its leaders Nemtsov and Hakamada, whereas it is also well known to be the party of Chubais, head of the State Energy giant RAO “UES Rossii” (United Energy Systems of Russia).

The SPS is often called “a party of 35-year-olds” and “a concert-party”. During 2003 the public opinion surveys have shown that this party has the support of some 3 to 6 percent of all Russians (the Yabloko party shows remarkably similar rates). This low level of support alarmed party leaders and they decided to demand changes in the Federal legal system so that people as young as 16 years of age could vote in elections.

In spring 2003 a group of MPs from the SPS (A. Barannikov, N. Brusnikin, A. Vulf, V. Koptev-Dvornikov, and V. Semenov) have presented the State Duma with a draft for federal law “About changes in specific legal acts of the Russian Federation related to making lower the age for an active electoral right”. The proposed changes include a right of young people as young as 16 years of age to vote in elections and referendums, sign petitions in support of candidates, sign petitions in support of referendums and collect signatures in support of petitions. While the same minimum age limit of 18 would remain for the right to become a member of election committees (boards), and to make contributions to the funds of candidates. These changes to federal law would give limited political rights to young people from the age of 16. Also, it could cause a chain reaction concerning changes in regional laws.

The authors of this proposal appeal to the Constitution in so far as it does not exclude the possibility of giving limited political rights to people under 18 years of age. They also appeal to the Convention for the Rights of the Child that address those under 18 years of age, saying that every child has a right to free expression of his or her own opinion. In their explanatory note to the text of the proposed law, the authors openly argue that it is “in the public interest to create a counterweight of young people to the most conservative and most active part of the electorate – pensioners over 55 years of age”. Furthermore, the authors claim that “the lowering of the minimum age of those with active electoral rights responds to worldwide tendencies”, and they illustrate this with instances from Brazil (where 16- to 18-year-olds have a right to vote and may demand to be included in the list of voters), Sweden (where 17-year-olds have a right to vote in elections), and tendencies in Denmark and Iceland (where in the 1970s-80s the minimum age for voting in elections was reduced from 20 to 18).

In the opinion of the SPS deputies, it would be possible to make these changes without changing the Constitution; but, this appeared to be the main miscalculation, as it is read in the evaluation given by the Government. In an evaluation letter the Government recommended that the Duma reject the draft proposal as it contradicts article 6o of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and also contradicts article 21 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

The final discussion in the Duma on 9 September 2003 was short and emotional. Here are some of the arguments by the deputies: “Arkadiy Gaidar (he is the grandfather of Egor Gaidar) commanded an army when he was 16”. A. Vulf

The Communists gave the most definite statement by stating that this draft proposal was organized by Chubais, “it is clear why this initiative is being discussed - so that Chubais will have someone to go to the elections with”.

Finally the draft was rejected by a vote of 81 against 45 of its supporters. Young people constitute approximately 22 percent of the entire Russian electorate. The battle for their votes continues during and between the electoral campaigns. However, public opinion surveys show that only about 17 percent of young people will definitely come to vote in elections.

All political parties have their own youth branches of affiliated youth organizations. Some of these are larger (Komsomol, Molodeshnoe Edinsotvo, etc.), and others are smaller. The political move of the SPS may appear especially progressive and original. Both the SPS and Yabloko actively work on attracting the older cohorts of the electorate. In their advertisements both parties specifically target older people, for instance, sometimes linking them to very new issues, such as the reform of ZhKH (the housing maintenance system) as Yabloko did in their add. However, they continue to target young people too – a few weeks ago SPS leaders widely publicized in the mass media the case of a school-boy death in military training classes – criticizing new laws about military and patriotic education in schools.

Developments in November 2003 show that both parties clearly realize that their “Golden age” was during the era of President Yeltsin. For instance, the idea of removing Chubais from his leadership of the RAO “UES Rossii” (United Energy Systems of Russia) is circulating in the State Duma and widely discussed in the mass media. At the same time, however, Chubai’s proposal for the merger between the SPS and Yabloko is being refused by Yabloko.

Previous News release items

• 01/11/2003: Children want a say, not a vote
• 22/08/2003: Guantanamo may free children
• 18/06/2003: Comisión Interamericana presentó ante la Corte IDH la primera demanda contra el Estado salvadoreño por la desaparición forzada de dos niñas
• 23/04/2003: US detains children at Guantanamo Bay
• 23/04/2003: Children detained at Guantanamo should be released

Last updated 11/09/2006 12:45:48

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